For a game that is supposed to be fun and enjoyable game, this will make you mad you will want to throw your controller.
In most games Easy difficulty is "supposed" to mean that "hey you are new this is a mode where you can figure out the controls get this hang of the game". Well not in this game. After playing for hours i finally won one game. So i thought i was ready for online. I've have been playing for over 4 hours on this game and have yet to win one match online. Most of the matches are neck and neck but because of power ups it can change the game...For the worse. I was playing this intense game and we were playing to 10. I came back and tied it up 8-8. When my opponent got a power up that make your goalie really small. He obviously scores and instantly checks me again and gets another small goalie power up. He scores and wins with in 10 seconds. I felt robbed. I come back just to have bad luck and lose because of one of the strongest power ups in the game. And he gets it twice. I played a match were the opponent got 4 of them and i didn't get any.
To get power ups you have to heavily check the opposing player. You get a range of power ups that can make you shoot fast, skate fast, make your goalie big, their goalie small, make a goal worth two points instead of one, or freeze a player (might be more then that) Well after playing online, for most people they can score every time with they have the fast skating power up and little goalie.
But the fact that you have to check someone to get a power up means you need to check. A lot. Even the goalie. Thats right. You can check the goal and make him fall down and have an easy score. So not only do you have to shoot good, 70% of the time your checking trying to get power ups. You don't have to have a good shot if you can check good, you can get power ups and score no problem.
With the dumb AI. Your goal will leave his crease and get the puck. At this time your entire team will disapear and up down ice. This is a big problem. The other team with check your goalie and have an open net shot or easily intercept a long pass down since everyone is gone and have yet another open net.
The game also fails to tell you that the right sticks is a way to deeke. This is a huge part of the game they don't even tell you in the controls. Also if you hold both bumpers down you can slide and block a shot. Yet again they don't tell you any of this.
I would like to see a practice mode. Where it is just you and the goal. Or it can be 3 vs the goalie and practice deekeing a setting up plays. Knowing Micro$oft they will probably charge for anything they can.
Knowing that his game is made by EA you know your getting a rushed game that could have been better.